Plans for the development of a year-round entertainment and leisure destination at Manchester City's Etihad Stadium have been approved. Plans include a new 400-bedroom hotel, a new club shop and museum plus work space. The ambitious plans also feature a sky bar above the stadium’s upper tier with views overlooking the pitch plus a stadium roof walk experience. Main construction works are expected to start this November with the hotel and workspaces completed by late 2026.
The Grade-II listed Old War Office building in central London has been transformed into the UK’s first Raffles branded hotel and is now accepting reservations from 9th October this year. The hotel was originally scheduled to open in 2022. Raffles London at The OWO, operated by Accor, will have 120 bedrooms and suites, nine restaurants, three bars, a spa and health club. Events-wise the hotel will feature the Whitehall Ballroom with a capacity for up to 600 people plus pre-function space and six additional meeting and events suites.
Planning permission is being sought to upgrade the Old Bull Hotel on the High Street in the Cotswold village of Burford – and convert it into a luxury boutique hotel. Plans include 26 bedrooms and 10 suites over several floors. The current restaurant, bar and kitchen is set to be refurbished and the walled garden converted to outdoor dining space. A former boiler house at the rear of the hotel will become a new wellness area. We will monitor developments.
Plans have been submitted to convert a restaurant in Bournemouth into an events venue. If plans are approved the venue at 104 Commercial Road in the centre of town would be converted into workspace plus conference, seminar and meeting space. The ground floor would host business meetings with two workspaces and a general lounge with seminar space and workshops on the first floor. Plans are currently with Bournemouth City Council awaiting approval.
Hilton Hotels are bringing their Tapestry Collection by Hilton brand to Northern Ireland. A two year-long , £11million investment programme starting this September will result in The Marcus Hotel Portrush, Tapestry Collection by Hilton which is planned to open in 2025 in the seaside town of Portrush. It will open with 83 bedrooms plus a café, restaurant and bar.
Apex Hotels has acquired the Pine Trees Hotel in Pitlochry - its first countryside property to add to its eight city centre hotels. The group is planning further expansion into rural locations.
Luton Hoo Hotel, Golf & Spa is to undergo a multi-million-pound redevelopment over the next few years prior to becoming a member of Accor’s Fairmont Hotels & Resorts.
Other refurbishment news in brief:
Bovey Castle in Dartmoor has unveiled a new ‘super kitchen’ – The Great Western Grill - as part of a £1.2m investment
Bournemouth West Cliff Hotel has reopened after an £82,000 Bali-themed outdoor refurbishment. The newly renovated garden features an extended outdoor seating space featuring an Indonesian-inspired graffiti mural. This follows a £500,000 investment to refurbish 20 bedroom-suites.
The Holiday Inn Gloucester, has just completed its £3million refurbishment project which has included extensive renovation work on its 125 bedrooms, entrance, outdoor area plus meetings and events spaces. The hotel is situated just off the M5 and two miles from Gloucester city centre.
The Inn Collection has just reopened The Waterhead Inn at Ambleside in the Lake District following a multi-million pound refurbishment.
…and finally, ‘The Times’ is reporting three of London’s grandest hotels – Claridges, the Connaught and the Berkeley are selling more than 1500 fixtures and items at auction. They include bespoke chairs, sofas and tables by leading designers, table lamps and chinaware - some of the items have been in storage for a hundred years and are now surplus to requirements. “With most of the items having no reserve price, some beautiful lots could be sold for much less than they might cost in an antique shop”. Auctions continue next week through NCM Auctions.